Newly-promoted Spalding Town suffered a four-wicket defeat on the opening day of the Lincs Premier League season on Saturday.
Despite posting 178-9 from their 50 overs against Grimsby Town, the visitors scraped home with just 2.4 overs to spare.
Spalding, batting first, saw new signing Faisal Javed dismissed by Dylan Claasen after scoring just three runs on his Town debut.
Spalding, batting first, saw new signing Faisal Javed dismissed by Dylan Claasen after scoring just three runs on his Town debut.
Although fellow opener Warren Nel laid the foundations for the Spalding innings with a top score of 73, the wickets continued to tumble around him.
Last season’s prolific run scorer Hafiz Majeed went for 14 while Josh Newton became Neal Snell’s second victim when he was caught for two.
Ben Smith provided useful support for Nel with the second highest score of 26 but, once he was dismissed, Jonathan Miles and Dan Milgate failed to trouble the scorers while another new recruit Luke Hollingworth made just seven.
It was left to last man Cameron Roy to plunder a couple of boundaries in his 24 not out and help Spalding finish on 178-9 from their 50 overs.
Miles struck early in the Grimsby reply by bowling Joe Farmery for a duck, but Grimsby skipper Snell (20) and Steven Crossley (75) soon took control of proceedings.
They moved the visitors towards their winning target before Majeed bowled Snell and then claimed the quick wickets of Brendan Volley and Jack Nilsson.
Hollingworth had Geoff Middleton caught by Newton as the Grimsby reply began to falter.
However, Hayden Tice (31no) and Jack Harrison (25no) steadied the ship to see Grimsby over the finishing line.
Spalding travel to Woodhall Spa on Saturday and then play Bourne and Market Deeping in the first round of the Winkworth T20 Cup on Bank Holiday Monday.
Rob Ambrose’s side will be making the short trip to Bourne for the Twenty20 competition where they play first against Market Deeping at 10.30am.
The other matches will follow at approximately 1.30pm and 4.30pm with the overall winners going on to play in the semi-finals and final at Sleaford CC on Monday, May 29.
